Wednesday, June 4, 2014

L.A. Ninja I and II

You guys aren't gonna believe this, but I've been busting ass this past two weeks and I not only got LA Ninja II done, but I also got my final final final edits of LA Ninja I done too. Both are published now!! Can you believe it?? I can't, but I'm glad to be done with that project for now. I can't wait to have a cold brew and bask in the glory that is the feeling of finishing a novel. It will have to wait til' this weekend.

But wait! The news gets better. LA Ninja II is free. That's right. F-R-E-E!! Why? Cause I'm awesome. Yes. Cause I'm generous? For sure. Cause I'm egotistical? If that means awesome and generous, then yes!! Really, though, I am doing it because I think people that read LA Ninja deserve a freebie, and I also want to increase readership. Yes, it's a marketing tactic! Is it a cheap hook? Heck no. I worked my ass off on that novel and I think it's pretty damn good. So I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer. There is a problem over at amazon. They're great, I love the company, and I sure buy a lot of crap there, but alas, they won't let me publish a free book. I think, though, that I can do promotions where it is free for a time period, so I will definitely hook that up. Other than that, you'd have to go to smashwords directly, or if you have a nook, or apple device, or any of several other devices besides the kindle you can get it free. So it shouldn't really be a problem, but if it is, drop me a message and I can help you out.

Anyways, that's it for now. I will come back this weekend and setup links, pictures, and more information on how to find LA Ninja II. Oh, there's one other thing. For anyone that did read LA Ninja I, I had to go back and change the names of the gangs and the cartels. It seems that some of the names were "too close" to those of some actual real life gangs in the world. Hey, I didn't know there were so many gangs out there. Anyways, I found that out on my own, but that is a change that some people might notice. That's it. Happy hunting! -A

No comments:

Post a Comment

Puff Piece Hill

Revolution of the Soul. A Mission Statement.

I am by default, and through no fault of my own, different. I’m not out cruising the boulevard on the weekends, blasting oldies-but-goodies with the homies. I am also not listening to rock en Espanol, speaking in Spanish-only with my friends. I could fit into either stereotype perfectly though, and to an outsider, I probably appear to be from either or both worlds. I have brown skin, which is pretty much all it takes. It’s not that simple though, as others like me surely understand. I speak some Spanish but I also speak perfect English. I went to college. I love hamburgers and fries, and hip-hop, and alternative music. I have simply integrated into American culture from the start, because I was born here, and because I wanted to.

I’m glad that I’m not still stuck in Mexico somewhere, growing up a third world existence, which statistically would have been the case, had my familia never come here. But I am glad to have come from a country and peoples with such a rich and vibrant history. There are many reasons having such a heritage is a good thing, and I am proud to be a part of it. I am glad to have been born here in America, and happy to be part of this system. I’m happier yet that I didn’t grow up as a cholo gang-banging, tagger, too-cool-for school type of guy, even though I’ve had plenty of chances, given my surroundings. That subculture is not all bad either, depending on the level of involvement and the choices one makes. In other words, you can look the part without being a thug, or a social, or immigrant, or anything else, que no? This is true of all life.

So even though I am different, I am by no means alone, and I know this. The problem for me is that I’m not seeing enough representation out there in the media. I’m not seeing a lot of works written, or filmed, for people like me. It annoys me, too, for a lot of political reasons, because our image is grossly misrepresented. Sure the gangbanger cholos are fun to include in film, because violence sells. However, that only perpetuates a false image. These days, it seems as though everyone in this country sees us either as cholos or as immigrants that refuse to assimilate, legal or not. This angers me because we are so many different things including a multitude of diversity within our own subculture. It’s pretty frickin’ beautiful, if everyone only knew…

Either way, I decided to make the changes I wanted to see, on my own. I’m writing stories for me, for you, and for everyone else, and my main characters are all Latino, and not just Mexican-Latino either. My stories are not about quinceaneras or growing up as a pocho in high school. They are not about crossing the border, or starting any revolutions. The only revolution I write about is the Revolution of the Soul. My stories are meant to entertain and inspire people, and hopefully many of you will relate to them in one way or another, and see yourselves there in them, wherever that may be.